Higher education institutions pursue three main missions: teaching, research, and contributing to society through knowledge transfer. Universities increasingly seek to capitalize on research through commercialization via patents and spin-offs to generate income, as public funding has decreased. The "Triple Helix" model of university-industry-government interactions benefits all parties through knowledge sharing and economic growth. Universities establish technology transfer offices and business incubators to facilitate partnerships and manage intellectual property, though some tensions with academic traditions can arise.